A Blog about my Food Adventures

If someone asked you to describe what ‘Southern Californian’ cuisine was all about, could you? Up until recently, I don’t think I could have! Commissary is the restaurant that might just be able to open up the whole Southern Californian culinary scene; especially if the Culinary Director has anything to say about it. Morgan McGlone…

When considering fine dining in Brisbane, you’ve got your creative and slightly eccentric options – think Esquire and Urbane; but if you’re thinking much more traditional then it’s hard to ignore Aria Brisbane. The Matt Moran restaurant was a welcome addition to the Brisbane fine dining scene when it opened up in August 2009. Introducing a level…

The more things change, the more they stay the same. I have a confession to make. It had been eight hundred and ninety nine days since my last visit to Esquire. The date was 6th May 2014. It might sound strange that I remember the last time I went to Esquire so vividly, and that…

One of my favourite restaurants in Hong Kong was two Michelin starred Wagyu Takumi, which until recently was helmed by renowned Japanese Chef Mitsuru Konishi. I’d heard that Chef Konishi was involved as culinary director of the newly opened Operetta in Pacific Place, but was completely surprised when I learned that Chef Konishi had made…

Many questions were asked when at only a month into its operation, Italian Fine Diner Restaurant Otto picked up a coveted Chefs Hat. More-so that the upstart interloper from the southern states also picked up the prestigious Restaurant of the Year (note, not new restaurant of the year). Who were these guys, and what right…

It seems to be list season; the 2017 Hong Kong & Macau Michelin guide was just released, as was the Tatler Top 20. Just two of the many restaurant guides and lists that are available in HK, they’re probably two of the main guides I use when looking for a lovely dining experience; the other…

Apart from the quite generic Pizza Express, there’s a real shortage of great pizza places in Hong Kong. Sure, I could name a couple of places that do alright pizza, but there’s not many places that could be classified as world class. That all changed when an interesting little place called Ciao Chow opened up…

I love discovering a new place that instantly ingratiates itself on all levels. It’s even better when that place is about ten steps from the front of your apartment entrance! The Avenue; AKA Lee Tung Avenue has to be one of the most popular destination spots in Hong Kong now, I can attest to this…

Sometimes you take a punt and it pays off. Sometimes not. With so many quality restaurants in London, many with Michelin stars, it’s sometimes hard to decide on where to go. I mean, you generally expect a certain level of quality at Michelin starred restaurants, but I’ve been disappointed before. I’d been pigging out a…

Picture this, a beautiful old building is built for the parish of Bishopsgate as part of a school for girls in 1890; serving as a parish hall and gymnasium. Enter the 70’s, a time of demolishing the old to make way for the new; and if not for a dedicated group of local residents that…

I still haven’t figured out how to get into Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, the three Michelin starred showpiece restaurant that’s rated as one of the UK’s best. Every time I’ve travelled to London, I’ve attempted a booking, on any day for lunch or dinner and have been stymied at every turn. There must be a secret…

I’m slowly accumulating visits to the many L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon restaurants dotted around the world; yeah, that sounds like a real hardship! If you think about it, the task is not really that difficult. Arguably the most famous chef on the planet and certainly the most decorated (at last count 33 Michelin Stars), Robuchon…